The Seahawks’ overall depth this year has been considered the best since 2013, when they won the Super Bowl.
They have had to dip into those reserves here and there throughout the season — especially covering for Thomas Rawls, Kam Chancellor, Michael Bennett and Luke Willson.
But this week, as the Hawks try to stay on the heels of the Dallas Cowboys with a win in Tampa, the depth is being tested at every level.
The Seahawks have weathered a few injuries to key players — Russell Wilson, Kam Chancellor and Michael Bennett, especially — this season, but they have yet to endure the kind of bloodbath they took in their 26-15 win over Philly on Sunday.
No fewer than 10 players left the game with various ailments, and the Hawks are looking at playing without at least four key guys next Sunday in Tampa Bay.
The biggest concerns this week are Legion of Boomers Earl Thomas and DeShawn Shead, plus the running back position.
If you think Russell Wilson is going to miss a game with his sprained ankle, you underestimate his moxie, his toughness, his drive, his resilience.
Remember, this is a guy who has never missed a practice or a meaningful play.
As Pete Carroll told 710 ESPN on Monday, “He will make it through. How could you think otherwise?”
Wilson himself tweeted out, “See you in L.A.”
Continue reading ‘How could you think’ Wilson will miss a game?
It’s no wonder John Schneider and Pete Carroll had developed an aversion toward drafting offensive linemen in the first round: They always get hurt.
After going back-to-back with first-round linemen in 2010-11, it took them five years to try again. Now it might be another five years before they do it again.
We can only hope Germain Ifedi’s high ankle sprain, which is expected to sideline him for at least three weeks, will not send him down the same injury path traveled by Russell Okung and James Carpenter.
The Seahawks have been hit hard with injuries at the skill positions early in camp — so hard that Pete Carroll quipped Sunday, “We’ve got a bunch of hamstrings on the receivers. They all have two.”
**Bass drum, cymbal crash**
Minor injuries early in camp are pretty common — and not a big concern as long as the team handles them with patience. But, when the injuries stack up at one position, it can cause a domino effect as other players become overworked.
That is what the Seahawks have been trying to avoid through the first 10 days of camp as they have lost five receivers, three tight ends, three running backs and two fullbacks.
The future of Jimmy Graham is a hot topic — not just his future with the Seahawks, but the mere prospect of him playing in the NFL for much longer.
Pete Carroll does not seem concerned, but a recent report by ESPN.com reiterated the severity of a torn patellar tendon — the injury Graham suffered in late November — and questioned whether the tight end will be able to make it back.
ESPN injury expert Stephania Bell cited a recent study saying players with TPTs “fared the worst when it comes to rate of return to play and performance metrics like yards gained and touchdowns scored. And their careers were shortened overall significantly. It’s not to say that one individual can’t come back and be phenomenal, but it’s telling you that the odds are against them in terms of returning to form.”
Of course, the Seahawks are all about bucking the odds, and there are reasons to believe Graham will overcome the injury better than previous players.
“It’s too early to tell” when Jimmy Graham will return from his torn patellar tendon, but we already know a few things: (1) The Seahawks are not going to get rid of the high-paid tight end this year; (2) they are probably going to take their time with his recovery; (3) he should be able to return to his previous standard of performance.
At the Combine on Wednesday, John Schneider said there is no timetable for the return of Graham, who is “doing great” while rehabbing in Miami.
“Obviously it was a devastating injury for us at the time,” Schneider said, “but he’s a great guy, got a great attitude about it, and he’s ready to get after it.”
Schneider said last month that Graham will be back with the Hawks — despite the wishes of some fans (in a Seattle Times poll, about 20 percent thought Graham would not be back).
The Seahawks’ MO always has been to let injured players recover, without altering their contracts, and then see how they perform the next season, so there was never any doubt Graham would be back. The question was and still is: When?
Continue reading Hawks likely will take their time with Graham
It turns out this big Seattle-Arizona clash might not be a very good gauge of where the Seahawks stand vs. the Cardinals, who are Seattle’s biggest hurdle to reaching the Super Bowl.
Half of Seattle’s key offensive players won’t be in the game, with J.R. Sweezy and Luke Willson (concussions) ruled out Friday — joining Marshawn Lynch, Jimmy Graham, Thomas Rawls, Paul Richardson and probably Russell Okung. That means the Hawks are down to second- or third-stringers at four positions.
Marshawn Lynch’s trademark was approved Wednesday for his infamous phrase, “I’m just here so I won’t get fined.”
Funny timing, considering he isn’t “here” in Seattle and won’t get fined for it.
Pete Carroll said Lynch might make it back for the first playoff game, and the coach also deflected concerns that the team is not controlling Lynch’s rehab as the running back recovers from abdominal surgery.
Lynch has been working with his personal trainer in the Bay Area, as he does every offseason, and Carroll has been relying on reports from that crew regarding Lynch’s progress.
“I would think he can make it back (for the playoffs),” Carroll said. “That’s what we hear. It’s really up to that day-to-day kind of progression that he’s making. There’s a lot of days between next week starting up. We’ll see what happens.”
Continue reading Carroll spins Lynch’s rehab choice, thinks he can make playoffs
“In this system, we’ve never not had a good back. Whoever it is can go for a thousand. I’m not worried about that so much. … Hopefully (Marshawn Lynch is) with us. If he’s not, then we move on. That’s fine.” — Tom Cable in June 2014.
Tom Cable was right: The Seahawks don’t need Marshawn Lynch. And it turns out they don’t really need Thomas Rawls either — as spectacular as he had been in relief of Lynch.
The Seahawks are a system running team — and, once the five linemen are in sync in their zone scheme, it is tough to stop the system. The Hawks proved that again Sunday, when they rolled up 182 rushing yards with two new backs — born-again Seahawk Christine Michael and Bryce Brown.
And, based on Pete Carroll’s comments Wednesday, Michael and Brown will be the ones to carry the Seahawks’ ground game into the playoffs, if not through to the Super Bowl.
Continue reading Michael & Brown might have to carry running game to Super Bowl
CHAWK TALK: Everything being said about the Seahawks 